Filling-replenishing loom.



N0. 653L456. Patented lan. 2|, I902.

J. C. EDWARDS.

FILLING REPLENISHING LUOM.

(Application filed May'22, 1901.)

2 Sheeis8heat I.

(No Model.)

"m: uonms PETERS 00., FNOTO-LITHO.,WASHINO1'DN. n. cy

No. 691,456. Patented Ian. 2|, 1902.

' J. c; EDWARDS.

FILLING REPLENISI'IING LOUM.

(Application filed my 29. 1901.)

2 SheatsSheet 2.

(No Model.)

' STATES PATENT @rrren.

JOHN C. EDlVARDS, OF BROOK LINE, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR TO DRAPER COMPANY, OF I-IOPEDALE, MASSACHUSETTS, A CORPO- RATION OF MAINE.

FILLING-REPLE NISHING LOOM.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 691 ,456, dated January 21, 1902. Application filed May 22, 1901.. Serial No. 61,335. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, JOHN C. EDWARDS, a citizen of the United States, residing at Brookline, in the county of Norfolk and State of feels the filling in the shuttle, filling-1e plenishing being effected without loss of picks upon exhaustion of the filling in the shuttle to a predetermined extent, but prior to complete exhaustion. Such looms are technically termed feeler-looms and have a wide field in the weaving of fine goods,- and both mechanical and electromechanical devices have been constructed and successfully operated for efiecting the desired result.

A very large number of looms are employed in weaving plain goods wherein breakage of the filling or weaving out of filling from the shuttle is detected bya filling forkor detector, which cooperates with the filling laid in the shed, and automatic filling-replenishing mechanism is used in connection with such looms, filling replenishing being effected with the loss of from one to three or more picksin the cloth. Such class of looms do not require the addition of the somewhat-intricate feeler attachments, as the loss of picks is not prohibitive; but it will be manifest that the smaller the number of picks lost the better will be the cloth produced.

My present invention relates to the latter or non-feeler type of looms; and it has for its object the production of means for reducing the number of imperfect picks due to automatic filling replenishing, and the simplification of the mechanism of such looms.

I have herein devised novel electromechanical means for controlling the time of operation of the filling-replenishing mechanism,

and the latter mechanism chosen for illustration in connection with my invention is of the well-known Northrop type, aseries of fillingcarriers being mounted in a rotatable feeder and automatically transferred, one at a time, to the shuttle upon failure of the filling in the shed.

The various novel features of my invention will be hereinafter fully described in the specification and particularly pointed out in the claims.

Figure 1 is a right-hand side elevation of a portion of a loom provided with automatic filling-replenishing mechanism with one embodiment of my invention applied thereto, the lay being shown in section and the electric circuit diagrammatically. Fig. 2 is a top or plan view of the mechanism illustrated in Fig. 1, the circuit being omitted for the sake of clearness. Fig. 3 is a diagrammatic view of the means for controlling the time of operation of the filling-replenishing mechanism, the electric circuit being shown in normal condition. Fig. 4 is a View similar to Fig. 1, but showing the lay as having almost completed its forward beat, with a change of filling about to be effected. Fig. 5 is a diagrammatic View of a modified form of means for controlling the time of operation of the filling-replenishing mechanism. Fig. 6 isaview similar to Fig. 3, showing diagrammatically the circuits of a modification to be referred .to; and Fig. 7 is a view, partly in side elevation, of the modified form of device shown diagrammatically in Fig. 6 for preventing filling replenishing when the shuttle is in the mechanism comprising a rotatable hopper or feeder 2, to support a plurality of filling-carriers 3, which are transferred one by one to the shuttle 4, open at top and bottom and provided with usual means (not shown) for holding the filling-carrier in place therein, the shuttle being of the automatically selfthreading type. A transferrer 5 is fulcru med at 6 on the feeder-frame and adapted to engage and transfer the filling-carriers one by one from the feeder to the shuttle, as in the Northrop lo'om-such, for instance, as shown in United States PatentNo. 529,940. A spring 7, Fig. 2, returns the transferrer to normal position, said transferrer having a depending arm 8, on which is pivoted at 9 a dog 10, which constitutes the armature of a controller, shown as an electromagnet 11, secured to a suitable part of the feeder-frame, as herein illustrated. Referring to Fig. 1, an ear 12 on the dog is adapted to engage astop 13 on the arm 8 to limitdownward movement of the dog when permitted to operate. The controller or electromagnet 11 is included in a closed electric circuit 14 15, Figs. 1 to 4, and Fig. 6, which circuit is an electrical connection with a battery 16 or other convenient source of electrical energy, so that the magnet will be normally energized, attractingthe armature-dog 10 and maintaining it out of the path of movement of a hunter 17 on the lay 18. If the current in the said circuit be changed, as by reducing it or cutting it off, sufficiently to deenergize or weaken the force of the electromagnet, the dog 10 will be released and will drop by gravity into operative position to be engaged by the hunter 17 as the lay heats up, as in Fig. 4, and the transferrer 5 will be rocked on its fulcrum 6 to transfer a filling-carrier from the feeder to the shuttle. I have provided for the operative positioning of the dog by several different means, and I will describe, first, as one means, a shunt-circuit, which is normally inoperative or quiescent, but which is rendered active upon failure of the filling laid in the shed, when the shuttle is in proper position for filling-replenishing to be effected, it being manifest that the latter must take place when the shuttle is at the end of the lay adjacent the feeder.

A rigidly-supported arm 19 extends rearwardly from the breast-beam at the side of the 100111 nearest the feeder, Fig. 2, and has fulcrumed upon it at 20 a filling fork or detector 21, insulated from the arm 19 and in electrical connection with one side of the circuit 14 15 by a wire 22, as clearly shown in Figs. 1 and 3. The tail of the fork forms one member 23 of a circuit-changer, the other member 24 being connected, as will be described, with the other side of the closed circuit 14 15 and secured to the arm 19, but insulated therefrom. On each forward beat of the lay the detector 21 sweeps across the raceway just after the shuttle has been thrown, and if the filling is present the detector is tilted on-alternate picks and the members 23 24 of the circuit-changer are separated, so that the shunt-circuit in which the detector is included is opened at that point. If, however, the filling is absent on the detectingpick, the detector will not be tilted and the shunt-circuit will be closed at the circuitchanger. The shunt-circuit is of less resistance than the circuit 14 15, which can be offected by using wires of large cross-sectional area, so that a complete closure of the shunt short-circuits the electromagnet l1, deenergizing it, and the dog 10 moves into operative position, as has been described. A wire 25 26 leads from the member 24 of the circuitchanger to the main circuit 14 15, completing the shunt-circuit; but inasmuch as in the present embodiment of my invention the filling must be replenished only when the shuttle is at one side of the loom I have provided means for delaying the action of the shunt upon the controller should the shuttle be at the other side of the loom when failure of filling is detected, and such means will now be described.

The wire 26 is not connected directly to the Wire 25, but to a preferably-yielding terminal 27, which is in the path of the outer end of a metallic shuttle-detector 28, shown as a rod which is mounted to slide in bearings 29 of a stand 30, secured tobut insulated from the loom-frame; the said detector having thereon acollar 31 between the bearings, and

springs 32 between the latter and the collar serve to normally maintain the detector in the position best shown in Figs. 1 and 3, the wire 25 being attached to the detector. Normally, then, the shunt-circuit will be open at the point adjacent the terminal 27 and the contiguous end of the detector 28; but each time the shuttle is boxed in the shuttle-box 33 at the end of the lay nearest the feeder 2 the shunt-circuit will be closed thereat by contact of the detector 28 with the terminal 27 in a manner now to be described. The front wall of said shuttle-box has an opening 34 therein, and the rear end of the detector is bent up, as shown in Figs. 1 and 4, so that at every forward beat of the lay it will enter the opening 34; but when the shuttle is not in the box 33 the detector will not be moved from normal position, and the shunt-circuit will be open, no matter whether the terminals 23 24 are in contact or not. On every alternate pick, however, the shuttle will be in said box, and its side wall engages the end of the detector and moves it longitudinally as the lay beats up, so that the outer end of the detector contacts with the terminal 27 and the shunt-circuit is closed at that point. If at the same time the terminals 23 and" 24 are in contact, as will be the case whenever the failure of the filling is detected by the fork 21, then the shunt-circuit will be completely closed, and owing to its less resistance the current in the main circuit 14 15 will be diverted or weakened and the electromagnet 11 will be deenergized with the result hereinbefore described. It will be manifest from the foregoing-that the shuntcircuit can be completed or closed only when the shuttle is in position for filling replenishing at the time filling failure is detected. If the filling failure is detected by the fork 21 just after the throw of the shuttle from left to right, then the transfer of filling will be effected on the same heat of the lay, inasmuch as the shuttle-detector operates, and the fresh filling will be laid in the shed on the next succeeding pick, the shuttle being thrown from right-to left without any lost pick, or only a fraction of a pick will be lost. If the filling should fail upon the throw of the shuttle from right to left, neither the fork nor the shut-tledetector will be operated on that pick, as the fork is at the right-hand side of the loom and the shuttle will be in the left-hand box; but on the next pick from left to right the shuttle will enter shuttle-box 33 and the fork will detect absence of filling, and this time the shuttle-detector will be operated by engagement with the shuttle and filling replenishing will be effected, so that on the third pick the fresh filling will be laid in the shed, counting the first pick as the one in which the filling failed when the shuttle was thrown from right to left. Thus in the latter case the first pick will have filling part way across the cloth,

the second pick will be empty or lost, and the third pick will be properly filled, so that there will be a loss of only one pick and a fraction of a pick. WVhen shuttle-checking means of considerable accuracy is employed, it may be assumed that the shuttle will be properly boxed at each pick; but sometimes the shuttle will accidentally fail to enter the shuttlebox properly, and if this occurs at the feeder side of the loom a smash would result if the filling-replenishing mechanism should operate. As a measure of safety it is usual to employ a shuttle-feeler on the feeder side to prevent filling replenishing if the shuttle is improperly boxed, and I have shown a simple safety device of this character to render the shunt-circuit inoperative should the shuttle fail to be properly boxed. A bent arm or feeler 35 is fulcrumed at 36 on the loom-frame, its upper end extending across the raceway of the lay in front of the entrance of the shuttle-box 33, when the lay beats up, and this feeler is herein shown as connected electrically with the wire 25. A stop-terminal 37 is insulated from the loom-frame and is electrically connected with the part of the wire 25 between it and the shuttle-detector, as

clearly shown in Figs. 1 and 3, a suitable spring 38 normally holding the feeler against the stop-terminal 37, so that the shunt-circuit is closed at that point, just as if the two sections of wire 25 were continuous. If the shuttle is not properly boxed in the box 33, how-' ever, it will strike the rearwardly-extended upper end of the feeler 35 as the lay beats up, moving the feeler against its spring and opening the shunt-circuit by separating the feeler from the stop-terminal 37, so that even if the said circuit be closed by the filling and shuttle detectors, as has been described, it will be inoperative,and the controller 11 will not release the dog 10. When the dog is released, it is engaged by the hunter 17 and moved thereby to rock the transferrer 5 on its fulcrum to transfer a filling-carrier to the shuttle,and as the lay goes back the spring 7 returns the transferrer to normal position, and at the same time the shunt-circuit is opened by the return move ment of the shuttle detector 28, so that the immediately-energized electromagnet 11 will attract the dog 10 and restore it to normal inoperative position, the resetting of the various parts being automatic. I prefer to employ gravity to move the dog into operative position when released, as the action is instantaneous and the movement of the dog into the path of the hunter is short. The filling fork or detector 21 and the shuttle-detector 28 are so located as to perform their functions just as soon as possible after the shuttle has been thrown in order to give all the time possible to the dog to move into operative position before the hunter engages therewith.

Instead of employing a normally-energized controlling-electromagnet in a closed circuit in connection with a normally inoperative shunt-circuit I may use a normally deenergized electromagnet in a normally open circuit, the latter being closed when the fillingreplenishing mechanism is to be operated,and such arrangement I have shown in Fig. 5, and inasmuch as the construction of the filling and shuttle detectors and the shuttle-feeler is not changed I have applied thereto the same reference characters as have been heretofore used. One pole of the source of electrical energy, as the battery 39, is connected by wire 40 with the terminal 24 of the circuit-changer, the terminal 23 being connected, through the fork 21, with the shuttle-feeler 35 by a wire 41, and the stop-terminal 37 is connected by a wire 42 with the terminal 27. The shuttledetector 28 is connected with the other pole of the battery bya wire 43, the latter including the electromagnet 11, which in this instance attracts and raises the dog 10 to operative position when the described circuit is closed. Now so long as the filling is laid in the shed the filling-fork 21 will operate to open the circuit at 23 24: at every other pick, and the shuttle-detector 28 will contact with the terminal 27 on each corresponding pick; but remembering that the circuit will be opened at 23 24 it will be manifest that the magnet 11 Will not be energized. When the filling fails in the shed, however, the circuit will be closed at 23 2a and on each pick, and the shuttle-detector will complete the closure as soon as the shuttle enters the box 33, so that thereupon the magnet will be energized, the dog 10 will be attracted and moved into operative position, and the filling-replenishing mechanism will be operated. The wires will in all cases be insulated, and the electromagnet will be such as will be instantly responsive to changes in the condition of the circuit.

In the general arrangement; shown in Fig. 3 I may substitute apurely mechanical shuttle-detector, if desired, thereby avoiding cutting into the shunt-circuit, and the essential features of such modification are illustrated in Figs. 6 and 7. The shuttle-detector 28 is mounted and normally positioned substantially as hereinbefore described; but it is provided with a laterally-extended stud 48,which projects beneath the dog 10, preventing it from dropping into operative position, even should the magnet be denergize'd, unless the stud 4:8 is moved forward beyond the fulcrum 9 of the dog. Whenever the shuttle is in the box in front of the detector, the latter isengaged and moved forward as the lay heats up, thus withdrawing the stud 48 from beneath the dog, and the latter is then free to move into operative position if the filling in the shed has failed. With this arrangement the stop-terminal 37, if a shuttle-feeler is used, will be connected directly by a Wire 49 (see Fig. 6) with the main circuit 14 15, just as if the wires 25 and 26 in Fig. 3 were one and the same continuous wire.

It will be manifest that it is immaterial whether the failure of filling laid in the shed is due to breakage or weaving off of the filling in the shuttle, as the apparatus will operate in precisely the same manner upon filling failure from either cause, and therefore by the term failure of filling as used in the claims I mean breakage thereof or complete exhaustion or running out of the filling in the shuttle.

The terminal 27 and the adjacent end of the detector 28 constitute a second circuitchanger controlled by the position of the shuttle.

It should be stated that the downturned or detecting end of the filling-fork will be made long enough to remain in contact with the filling when present from the instant the tilling engages the fork until after the hunter has moved forward to a point beneath the dog, so that the fork cannot tilt and then drop back to normal position back of the filling.

Having shown clearly the practical embodiment of my invention in several different forms, my invention is not restricted thereto, as various changes and modifications may be made by those skilled in the art Without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.

Having fully described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is v 1. In a loom, filling-replenishing mechanism, means, including an electromagnet, to determine the time of operation of said mechanism, and means operative upon failure of the filling to change the condition of the electromagnet, and thereby effect, through the first-mentioned means, the actuation of the filling-replenishing mechanism.

2. In a loom, filling-replenishing mechanism, means, including an electric circuit and a controller governed thereby to determine the time of operation of said mechanism, and means operative upon failure of the filling to change the condition of the current in the circuit and render the controller operative to efiect, through said first-mentioned means, the actuation of the filling-replenishing mechanism.

3. In a loom, filling-replenishing mechanism, means, including an electric circuit, to determine the time of operation of said mech- 'anism,and a circuit-changer to govern the condition of the circuit, operative by or through failure of the filling laid in the shed to change the condition of the circuit, and through the first-mentioned means to effect the actuation of the filling-replenishing mechanism.

4. In a loom, filling-replenishing mechanism, means to determine the time of its operation, including an electric circuit, and a filling-detector circuit-changer in electrical connection with said circuit and adapted to periodically detect the presence or failure of the filling in the shed, the said circuit-changer effecting a change in the circuit upon detection of filling failure and thereby effecting the actuation of the filling-replenishing mechanism,when the shuttle is properly positioned.

5. In aloom provided with fillingreplenishing mechanism, means to determine the time of operation thereof, said means comprehending an electric circuit and an electromagnet included therein, and a circuit-changing filling-detector to govern the condition of the circuit, detection of failure of filling in the shed effecting, through thecircuit, a change in the condition of the electromagnet and thereby causing the actuation of the filling-replenishing mechanism, when the shuttle is properly boxed.

6. In a loom, filling replenishing mechanism, means to determine the time of operation thereof, including an electric circuit, a circuit-changer operative upon failure of the filling in the shed to change the condition of the circuit, and means controlled by the shuttle to render such change in the circuit efiective to cause the operation of the filling-replenishing mechanism when the shuttle is in proper position for filling-replenishing.

- '7. In a loom, filling-replenishing mechanism, means to determine the time of operation thereof, including an electric circuit, a plurality of circuit-changers one of which is operated by or through failure of the filling in the shed and the other by vthe shuttle when in position for replenishing of filling, and a shuttle adapted to contain a supply of filling,

a change in the condition of the circuit by the operation of both of said circuit-changers effecting, through such change, the-actuation of the filling-replenishing mechanism.

8. In a loom, filling-replenishing mechanism located at one side thereof, means to determine the time of its operation, including an electric circuit and a controller governed thereby, the lay, a shuttle adapted to contain a supply of filling, means operative upon failure of the filling in the shed to change the condition of the circuit and render the controller operative, and a detector to intermittingly cooperate with the shuttle when at the end of the lay adjacent the filling-replenishing mechanism, and permit the operation of said mechanism at such time only. 9. In a loom provided with mechanism to effect a change of filling, means to determine the time of operation thereof, including an electrically governed controller, a shuttle adapted to contain a supply of filling, and means operative upon failure of the filling in the shed, to short-circuit said controller and effect the actuation of the filling-changing mechanism when the shuttle is in proper position for a change to be made.

10. In a loom provided with filling-replenishing mechanism, means to determine the time of its operation, including an electric circuit containing an electromagnet, a shuttle-detector to detect the proper position of the shuttle for filling-replenishing, a shuttle adapted to contain a supply of filling, and a circuit-changer, operative upon failure of the filling in the shed, to vary the current in the circuit and change the condition of the electromagnet when the shuttle is in proper position, to effect the actuation of the fillingreplenishing mechanism.

11. In a loom provided with filling-replenishing mechanism, means to determine the time of its operation, including an electric circuit containing an electromagnet, the lay, a shuttle adapted to contain a supply of filling, a feeler to detect improper boxing of the shuttle, a detector to cooperate with the latter when in position for filling-replenishing, and means to change the condition of the circuit upon failure of filling in the shed, to thereby render the electromagnet effective, when the shuttle is properly boxed and cooperating with the detector, to cause the actuation of the filling-replenishing mechanism.

12. In a loom provided with filling-replenishing mechanism, electromechanical means operative by or through detection of failure of the filling laid in the shed to effect the actuation of the filling-replenishing mechanism.

13. In a loom, filling-replenishing mechanism, means to determine the time of its operation, including a closed electric circuit, a filling-detector to detect the presence or failure of the filling in the shed, and means operative upon detection of such failure of filling to vary the current in the closed circuit and thereby effect the actuation of the filling-replenishing mechanism, when the shuttle is properly boxed.

14. In a loom, filling-replenishing mechanism, means to determine the time of its operation, including a closed electric circuit, a filling-detector to detect the presence or failure of the filling in the shed, and means opera- .tive upon detection of such failure of filling to decrease the current in said circuit and thereby eifect the actuation of the filling-replenishing mechanism, when the shuttle is in proper position therefor.

15. In a loom, filling-replenishing mechanism, means to determine the time of its opera-.

ism, means to determine the time of its operation, including a closed electric circuit, and a normally open shunt of less resistance in electrical connection therewith, means operative upon failure of the filling in the shed to close the shunt and deflect current from the closed circuit, to render the latter operative to effect the actuation of the filling-replenishing mechanism, and a device controlled by the shuttle to prevent such actuation unless the shuttle is in a'predetermined position.

17. In a loom, a closed electric circuit containing an electromagnet, a shuttle adapted to contain a supply of filling, and means to short circuit the said electromagnet upon failure of the filling in the shed, when the shuttle is properly positioned.

18. In a loom provided with filling-replenishing mechanism, electromechanical means to determine the time of its operation, including a closed electric circuit containing a normally active electromagnetic controller, and a filling-detector operative upon detection of failure of filling in the shed to short-circuit said controller and render the same inactive.

19. In a loom provided with filling-replenishing mechanism, electromechanical means to determine the time of its operation, including a dog, an electromagnetic controller to govern the position thereof, an electric circuit including said controller, the lay provided with a hunter, and means operative by or through failure of the filling in the shed to render said controller operative to effect the positioning of the dog in the path of the bunter.

20. In a loom provided with filling-replenishing mechanism, means to determine the time of operation thereof, including an electric circuit containing an electromagnet, the lay, a shuttle adapted to contain a supply of filling, a filling-detector to determine presence or absence of filling in the shed, ashuttle-detector to cooperate with the shuttle on alternate picks, and means controlled by said detectors to elfect the actuation of the fillingreplenishing mechanism by or through said electromagnet when presence of the shuttle is detected by one, and failure of filling in the shed is detected by the other, of said detectors on the same pick.

21. In a loom, a shuttle adapted to contain a supply of filling, a closed electric circuit containing a normally energized electromagnet, means operative upon failure of filling in the shed to divert current and thereby deenergize the electromagnet, and mechanism operated by or through such denergization to effect a change of filling, when the shuttle is properly boxed.

22. In a loom, the lay, a shuttle adapted to contain a supply of filling, an electric circuit containing an electromagnet, a filling-detector to feel the filling in the shed, a shuttledetector to cooperate with the shuttle on alternate picks, a circuit-changer controlled by each detector, cooperation of the shuttle with one, and detection by the other detector of failure of the filling in the shed, on the same pick, operating through the circuit-changers to change through the circuit, the condition of the electromagnet, and mechanism operated by or through such a change in the condition of the electromagnet to effect a change of filling.

23. In aloom, filling-replenishing mechanism, means to determine the time of its opera tion, including an electric circuit and a controller governed thereby, a shuttle adapted to contain a supply of filling, and a plurality of circuit-changers controlled respectively by the filling and the position of the shuttle, said circuit-changers acting to change the condition of the circuit and render the controller operative to effect the actuation of the replenishing mechanism upon failure of the filling when the shuttle is positioned for fillingreplenishing.

24-. In a loom, a shuttle adapted to contain a supply of filling, filling-replenishing mechanism, means, including an electric circuit and a controller governed thereby, to effect the operation of said mechanism, and means operative upon detection of filling failure to change the condition of the current in the circuit and render the controller operative,

through said first-mentioned means, to effect actuation of the filling-replenishing mechan ism on the pick in which filling failure is detected.

25. In a loom, a shuttle adapted to contain a supply of filling, filling-replenishing mechanism, means, including an electric circuit, to efiect the operation of said mechanism, a plurality of controlling circuit -changers, operated contemporaneously on alternate picks, upon detection of filling failure and by the shuttle when in position for filling-replenishing, respectively, to change the condition of the circuit, and efiect replenishing on the pick in which filling failure is detected.

26. In a loom, a shuttle adapted to contain a supply of filling, filling-replenishing mechanism, means, including an electric circuit, to effect the operation of said mechanism, a circuit-changer operative upon failure of the filling when laid in one direction, a second circuit-changer operated upon the same pick by or through the shuttle when in position for filling-replenishment, and electric connections between the said circuit and the circuit-changers, whereby the condition of the circuit is changed and filling-replenishing efiected on the pick in which filling failure is detected.

27. In a loom, a shuttle adapted to contain a supply of filling, a detector to detect presence or absence of filling laid by the shuttle, mechanism, including an electric circuit and a controller governed thereby, to provide the shuttle with a fresh supply of filling, and means operative upon detecting action of the detector to change the condition of the circuit and through the controller effect the actuation of said mechanism on the pick in which failure of filling is detected.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing Witnesses.

JOHN G. EDWARDS.

Witnesses:

GEO. W. GREGORY, AUGUSTA E. DEAN. 

